


You know what they say about travelers

by lenapinewoods



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Leaky Cauldron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 12:04:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18872863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenapinewoods/pseuds/lenapinewoods
Summary: Neville arrives at the Leaky Cauldron late at night after spending seventeen months abroad. Romance, mild hurt/comfort, post war.





	You know what they say about travelers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flipflop_diva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipflop_diva/gifts).



> Written for the [rarepair_shorts](https://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/) Summer Wishlist event 2017. This story was inspired by [flipflop_diva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipflop_diva)’s prompts and a conversation we had with my friend [kiertorata](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiertorata) about Hannah Abbott. I also want to thank kiertorata for being my amazing beta! This is the first fic I’ve completed and published, I hope you like it :)

It was well over midnight and Hannah was just about to finish cleaning the second last table of the pub when there was a faint knock at the door. It wasn’t unusual for guests to arrive at the Leaky Cauldron at odd times; actually, it was a rule rather than an exception. The weird thing, however, was the knocking. Hannah straightened up and frowned at the door, feeling a little uneasy. She hated being so squeamish but she couldn’t help feeling slightly nervous, being alone in the pub late at night, especially when Tom was away. After all, the pub did attract all sorts of strange folks.

Slowly she walked to the door and got on her toes to reach the little window on top of it. She peeked through and saw Neville Longbottom standing on the frozen front steps with a worried look on his face. She tugged the door open and a cold breeze blew against her face.

“Thank Merlin! I almost thought the place wasn’t open,” Neville said, looking relieved. “I’ve been traveling all day, I just came back from South America and–” he stopped and his brows rose in surprise when he realized who was standing in front of him. “Oh, hi, hello Hannah. What are _you_ doing here? I mean, I expected to see old Tom. Are you staying here as well?”

Hannah took a step back to let Neville step into the pub. She couldn’t stop staring at the man. Neville looked so… different. She hadn’t seen him in over a year though, and it was presumable one would change in such a long time. Shortly after the war Neville had done something that in the opinion of many had been very unexpected and un-Neville-like: he had packed his things in single little suitcase, gotten on a ship and travelled to Mauritania. That had been his first destination; to where from there, nobody knew. Although Hannah and Neville had never been the closest of friends, during their seventh year at Hogwarts, Hannah had gotten to see closely what kind of person Neville had become – and what he could become, if he would allow himself. And she hadn’t been the tiniest bit surprised when Neville took off on his trip to Africa.

As she was looking at Neville now, she realized that apart from losing quite a lot of weight, getting a remarkable tan and growing a beard, he was also wearing a coat that was clearly too thin for the chilly weather of London in late February. Her eyes settled on the damaged looking suitcase he was carrying – was it the same suitcase he had left with almost a year and a half ago?

Hannah was dying to blurt out all the questions circulating in her head but instead she just asked, “Why’d you knock on the door? We’re open until two a.m. but basically we’re open twenty-four-seven if you can only get someone to wake up – and I sure as hell wouldn’t have woken up to your knocking, had I been asleep already. Why didn’t you just come in?”

“Well, that’s the thing I guess – I wouldn’t have wanted to wake up anybody,” Neville said, looking a little annoyed and embarrassed at the same time.

Hannah chuckled softly. “You know, that’s what makes you so amazing. You can spend a year being a total badass and leading a rebellion group against the most powerful dark wizard in the history of England and you’ll still be too polite and considerate to not want to wake anybody up – even though it’s clear you’re in serious need of an accommodation for the night.” She glanced at Neville’s tired appearance with a twinkle in her eyes. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

Neville followed Hannah through the door at the back of the pub and stepped into the warmth of a spacious kitchen. He sat down at the wooden table and followed how a few blonde curls escaped from Hannah’s bun as she moved around the kitchen. She selected a few bottles, grabbed a handful of herbs, leaned over the hearth and poured everything into a cauldron. Neville realized he was extremely tired. A little less than twenty-four hours ago he’d still been in Peru; now he was in London, in the kitchen of Leaky Cauldron of all the places, with Hannah Abbott, whom he hadn’t seen in seventeen months. What made it even more absurd was that for some reason the only thing he was able to think of right now was how a few minutes ago Hannah had called him both _amazing_ and a _total badass_ in two following sentences. And apparently she’d done it without sarcasm, too.

“You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here,” Neville said in order to say something, and also because he was actually curious.

“I work here,” Hannah said, giving Neville a quick smile, and glanced at the cauldron pensively.

“For how long?”

“I started before Christmas. Tom needed a hand with the holiday guests. He’s a friend of my dad’s, so I overheard them talking and offered to help. And after the holidays… I just stayed.”

Neville nodded. “I like it here, really,” Hannah continued, sounding a little defensive. “I enjoy cooking for the guests and Tom even let me make a few changes to the menu. I like working with the plants and potions and trying out new dishes. And when the guesthouse is almost empty, like now, I have a lot of time to do whatever I like, as long as I’m around. I have my own quarters above the pub and I get to live there for free and the salary isn’t bad either. This place is actually quite nice and cosy, you know.”

“I bet it is. And I see it looks… cleaner here, too,” Neville said, tentatively. He didn’t really understand why Hannah felt the need to explain her situation to him. For him the pub seemed like a very convenient place to work and live.

Hannah gave out a laugh. “It better! I’ve done a lot of work to make this place more lively. Did you notice the new curtains?”

Neville hadn’t noticed the new curtains but he nodded anyway. “They’re great,” he said.

Hannah placed two bowls on the table and filled them up with something that was steaming hot and smelled like tomato soup.

“I made a few additions to the recipe,” Hannah said. “I added some Siberian ginseng because it’s supposed to alleviate tiredness, especially after travel. I hope it works,” she said, a little concerned.

“Siberian ginseng is known for its restorative properties,” Neville said, smiling. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”

“Oh yes, of course you know that,” Hannah said, sounding a little embarrassed. “You were great in Herbology back in school.”

Neville smiled. “You were also pretty good yourself, if I remember correctly. But that’s actually not something I learned in school, about Siberian ginseng, I mean. I attended a very encompassing course about plants with healing properties in Peru.”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “You were in Peru?” she asked, amazed. “Where else? I want to know everything. Is that why you left, to learn about plants used for healing?”

“Well, partly. My main motivation was Herbology. But not just the plants used for healing. I wanted to learn about everything related to botany. I wanted to see in person all the amazing, exotic plants I’d only read about in books. I wanted to collect samples and bring seeds and saplings back home,” he paused and looked serious. “Also, I really needed to get away.”

Hannah nodded. “I know the feeling,” she said. “I suppose many of us felt that way, after the war. And some did leave.”

“You didn’t, though. You went back to school, right?”

“Well, I kind of had to. I still had a year left since I missed my sixth year almost completely when… when mum died,” she said, lowering her eyes. The pain was still there but at least she could say it aloud, now. Saying it helped, a little. It helped Hannah remember her, if nothing else.

She didn’t want to start crying, so she looked back at Neville whose eyes met hers with compassion and understanding. He actually did understand. They had talked about it once during their last year together in Hogwarts. It had been after one of their D.A. meetings; someone had managed to smuggle a few bottles of firewhisky into the school and after a particularly depressing and awful day they had drunk it all together in the Room of Requirement. Somehow Neville and she had ended up being the last two in the room. They had had a long and pretty deep conversation about parents, losing parents, meeting expectations, feeling like you’re never quite enough and pain and sadness and war. There had been a moment then, a moment when something could’ve happened. But they had both been so young and lost, and the pressure of the war had been so heavy above them, that they had ended that night with a friendly and quite drunken hug.

“Tell me about your travels,” she said, to change the subject. “Where were you?”

“Mauritania, Bolivia, Peru, here and there… around Africa and South America, mostly. There are some amazing exotic plants and herbal healing research institutes in South America, I learned a lot there. Most importantly, I suppose, I got some clarity on things. This is what I really want to do, pursue a career in Herbology. I know now that what used to be a silly dream is not only possible for me, but also what I’m meant to do, you know.”

Neville’s eyes were lit up and Hannah was impressed by the passion she saw in them. “It was fantastic, really. And I met some really great people there, too,” he continued.

“Anyone special?” Hannah blurted before she could stop herself.

“Yes, actually,” Neville said, looking slightly sad but with a little crooked smile on his lips. “There was a Luisa in Bolivia. A healer trainee. It’s over now, though. It just didn’t work out.” He tilted his head and looked at Hannah. “What about you? Seeing anyone?”

“Umm, yeah, yes, actually I am.”

“Ernie?”

“Merlin, no! There was a time when he would’ve wanted to. But no, I’ve never liked him like that. We’re better off as friends.”

Neville nodded and a big yawn escaped from his mouth. Hannah glimpsed at the clock. It was almost three in the morning.

“I didn’t realize how late it was!” she said. “I’m so sorry, I’ve been keeping you up, you must be so tired. I’ll show you to your room.”

They climbed the stairs to the second floor and Hannah led Neville to the door at the end of the hallway.

“This is the best room we’ve got. Since creepy Mr Harris is the only guest residing here besides you, you’ll get this one. And you don’t have to pay extra.”

“Very generous of you,” Neville said, with a smile. “Putting me before creepy Mr Harris.”

“I know, right?” Hannah smirked. “I guess this is a good night, then.”

“Good night, Hannah.”

“Neville, wait” Hannah said suddenly, just when Neville was about to close the door. “I lied. I’m not seeing anyone.”

Neville looked confused. “Why’d you tell me you were?”

“Because I didn’t want you to think my life was pathetic,” she said, biting her lip and looking embarrassed. “Working in a pub, no education after Hogwarts, living like a spinster with old Tom’s old cat as my only company. And you’ve been to all those great places and met great people and done great, exciting things.”

Neville spurted into laughter. “I’d love to live above a pub! In the matter of fact, that’s what I’m about to do, for a while now, at least. And I think your life’s great!”

“You do?” Hannah smiled a little. “Anyway, I only told you I lied because I was afraid you’d be too considerate and polite to make a move if you thought I was seeing someone else.”

“To make a _what_?”

“You know, to ask me out.”

Neville stared at her for what felt like a long time and she lowered her eyes, feeling awkward and ashamed for interpreting his behaviour so wrong. But then he took a long step forward, grasped her by the waist and pulled her close. Hannah’s face was only a few inches from Neville’s and she felt his warm breath caress her cheek awhenhe asked,“Would you like to have breakfast with me tomorrow morning?” Hannah laughed and before she could answer, he pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. When he released her, she smiled and said, a little out of breath, ”You do realize we won’t be alone on our first date. Creepy Mr Harris will be there too, staring at you from the corner creepily.”

“I’m positive we’ll be able to ignore him,” Neville said, smiling. And Hannah was pretty sure about it, too.


End file.
